Marseille befriending Jerusalem with gift of fountain

The city of Marseille, France, has given a bronze fountain to the city of Jerusalem as a show of friendship.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat on Tuesday thanked Marseille Mayor Jean Claude Gaudin for his gift of the “Fontaine Longchamp,” which stands more than 11 feet high. The fountain, which is on its way to Israel, is an exact replica of the famous fountain on Marseille’s Boulevard Longchamp.

Barkat met with Gaudin in the Jerusalem City Council chamber. A delegation of businessmen and community leaders from Marseille accompanied Gaudin on his visit to Israel.

“Our gift, which represents comradeship, peace and coexistence, is a symbol of our close ties with the city of Jerusalem, which we are interested in deepening even further,” Gaudin said in the chamber.